Dental chair



se us, 1967 PARK ET AL 3,339,974

DENTAL CHAIR Filed Feb. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 3 JON K. PARK ROBERT CRAIG PARK ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1967 J. K. PARK ET AL 3,339,974

DENTAL CHAIR Filed Feb. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 77 L 1:1 m: 22%]: INVENTOR. 8 '05 8] 79 79 8' o JON K. PARK 9 T ROBERT CRAIG PARK ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,339,974 DENTAL CHAIR Jon K. Park and Robert Craig Park, both of 911 Brown Bldg., Wichita, Kans. 67202 Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 526,991 6 Claims. (Cl. 297-361) This invention relates to chair equipment and particularly to a contour-type dental chair. More particularly, this invention relates to a contour-type dental chair having a head section pivotally connected to a body support section. Still more specifically, this invention relates to an actuator means or elevating means used to raise and lower a head support section relative to a body support section on a contour-type dental chair.

Various types of dental chairs are known to the prior art and include chairs having adjustable head rest supports. It is desirable to be able to raise and lower the patients head with a minimum of effort, in gradual increments, and without the necessity of additionally supporting and re-positioning of the patients head. Also, it is desirable that all of the patients heads assume the same relative positions so that the lights, instrument tray, and various other equipment needed by the dentist would not have to be readjusted for each individual patient. Additionally, it is desirable to rapidly move the patients head to the best operating position by a simple push button control to conserve the dentists time and thereby increase his earnings power.

In accordance with the present invention, a new head support means for a dental chair is provided which includes an elevating means driven by an electrical motor to selectively raise or lower a head support section of the chair. A control means provides for automatically stop- :ping movement of the head support section upon reaching the raised or lowered positions.

In preferred specific embodiments of the invention, a contour-type dental chair is provided having an elongated main frame to which is secured a padded body support section. An elongated narrow head support section is .pivotally connected to the body support section and positioned adjacent the main frame for upward movement relative thereto. A lever or actuator arm is pivotally connected to the head support section and extends down- ,wardly into the main frame where the lower end thereof is connected to an elevator means which operates to pivot the lever arm about the head support section to raise and lower the same. The elevating means includes an elongated threaded shaft rotatably mounted in bearing supports secured to the main frame and extended through a connector block which supports and is pivotally connected to the lever arm. Rotation of the threaded shaft results in movement of the connector block axially thereof to raise and lower the head support section. A motor means is connected to one end of the shaft for driving engagement thereof with energization of the motor means accomplished by operation of a controller push button connected by an electrical circuit to the motor means. The connector block is operably associated with a stop rod means which ;actuates switch members to de-energize the motor means on movement of the head support section to either the extreme raised or lowered position. The elevating means presents a compact, neat appearing structure providing for the smooth, consistent raising and lowering'of the head support section.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and novel dental chair.

type dental chair having an independently movable head support section.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new chair having a main frame, a body support section secured to the main frame, and a head support section pivotally connected to the body support section and movable relative thereto.

One other object of this invention is to provide a new elevating means operable to rotate a head support section about one of its ends.

A further object of this invention is to provide an elevating means for raising and lowering the head support section of a contour-type dental chair that is electrically screw driven so as to provide quiet, smooth movement of the head support section.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an elevating means for the head support section of a chair having a control means operable to automatically stop movement of the head support section on reaching the lowered or raised positions.

Still one other object of this invention is to provide an elevating means for a head support section on a chair that is simple to operate, quiet in operation, and presents a compact, neat appearance.

Various other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a contour-type dental chair embodying the elevatable head support section of this invention;

FIG. 2 .is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the elevatable head support section of this invention with portions thereof broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged foreshortened view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 illustrating the motor means and the elevating means of this invention; FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken ,along line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view taken along line 7-7 in ,FIG. 2;

' FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 2 illustrating the connecting or hinge means of the head support section; and

FIG. 9 is an electrical schematic illustrating the control means of this invention.

. The following is a discussion and description of preferred specific embodiments of the new elevatable head support section of the contour-type dental chair of this -with one end pivotally connected to the top edge of a conventional dental cabinet 18. The couch 16 includes a padded body support section 20- secured to an elongated main frame 22 and a head support section 24 pivotally connected by a hinge member 26 (FIG. 8) to the body support section 20. The head support section 24 has a padded pillow 27 slidably mounted thereon to support the patients head in a comfortable position.

A main drive assembly for elevating the dental chair 15, indicated generally at 29, is supported on the ground surface 31 and secured to the mid portion of the couch 16 through a gear rack 33. The main drive assembly 29 is operable to raise and lower the couch 16 by a motor means (not shown) so as to pivot about a hinge member 35 connecting the main frame 22 to the cabinet 18. The novel shape and pivotal movement of the dental couch 16 by itself does not form part of this invention and is fully described in applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 445,351 filed Apr. 5, 1965, now Patent No. 3,250,568 entitled Dental Chair.

This invention relates to a new and novel contour-type dental chair including a head support actuator means 37 having an elevating means 38 mounted within the main frame 22, a lever arm 40 interconnecting the head support section 24 and the elevating means 38, a motor means 42 operable to actuate said elevating means 38, and a control means 43' operable to selectively raise and lower the head support section 24 and automatically stop the same when reaching the extreme raised and lowered positions.

More particularly, the main frame 22 has an elongated narrow head portion 45' of rectangular tube shape in transverse cross section with the major portion of the elevating means 38 mounted therewithin. A rectangular shaped cover plate 46 is secured to the under surface of the head portion 45 by a plurality of screw members 48 thereby providing an entrance opening into the elevating means 38 for the purpose of manufacture and repair. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the elevating means 38 includes an elongated threaded shaft 49 which is rotatably carried within spaced bearing supports 51 and 52 secured as by screws 53 to the inner upper surface of the head portion 45 of the main frame 22. The shaft 49 is carried within cylinders 55 supported as by roller bearings 56 within the bearing supports 51 and 52 whereby the shaft 49 is rotatable therewithin but held against relative axial movement. Intermediate of the bearing supports 51 and 52 is a connector block 58 having the shaft 49 threaded into a central hole 59 whereby the connector block 58 is movable axially on the threaded shaft 49 on rotation thereof. The upper edge of the connector block 58 is pivotally connected as by a hinge 61 to the lower end of the lever arm 40 whereby the connector block 58 cannot rotate but must move axially on the shaft 49 on its rotation. The lever arm 40 is constructed of a rigid rectangular bar or strap material with the upper end thereof extended through an opening 62 in the upper surface of the head portion 45 and pivotally connected by a hinge 63 to an outer end portion of the head support section 24.

The shaft 49 extends outwardly from the lower end of the main frame 22 and is connected by a resilient, shock absorbing drive connector 64 to the motor means 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor means 42 includes a motor 66 mounted as by bolts 67 to the under surface of the body support section 20 and a transmission means 69 operably connected to the motor 66 to drive a stub shaft 70. The outer end of the stub shaft 70 is attached to the drive connector 64 whereby energization of the motor 66 results in rotation of the threaded shaft 49 and movement of the connector block 58 to raise and lower the head support section 24. Therefore, it is seen that the head support section 24 is pivotal about the hinge member 26 on energization of the motor 66 to any elevational position and stopped in the desired position by de-energization of the motor 66. It is obvious that the motor 66 is of the reversible type whereupon the threaded shaft 49 is rotatable in either of two directions to move the connector block 58 axially correspondingly.

In order to provide for the automatic stopping of the head support section 24 in the raised or lowered positions, the control means 43 is operably connected to the motor means 42. The control means 43 includes an elongated stop rod 71 mounted within the main frame 22 having opposite ends thereof carried in U-shaped brackets 73 secured as by welding to the upper inner surface of the head portion 45 of the main frame 22 (FIG. 6). The stop rod 71 extends parallel and adjacent the threaded shaft 49 and is interconnected to the connector block 58 by an L- shaped angle member 74. A leg 75 of the angle member 74 is welded to the connector block 58 with the other laterally extended leg 77 having a hole 78 therein through which the stop rod 71 is extended. On opposite sides of the leg 77 are springs 79 mounted about the rod 71 and nuts 81 secured thereto positioned outwardly of the springs 79. Normally closed switch members 83 and 84 secured one to each bracket 73 includes actuator plungers 85 in axial alignment with the stop rod 71 and adapted to be moved axially by the rod 71 to open the switch members 83 and 84.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control means 43 further includes an electrical circuit 87 having a control or push button 88 electrically connected to the motor 66 through the switch members 83 and 84 for the operation thereof. The control button 88 is of a two-position type switch pivotal about a shaft or axis 89 to either the UP or DOWN positions (as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 9) for corresponding movement of the head support section 24. A conductor line 91 connects plungers 93 and 94 of the control button 88 with an electrical source 95. The plungers 93 and 94 are electrically connected by lines 96 and 97 to terminals 98 and 99, respectively, on the reversible motor 66. The electrical circuit is then completed from the terminals 99 and 98 by conductor lines 101 and 103 through the normally closed switch members 83 and 84, respectively, by lines 105 and 107 to ground. It is seen, therefore, that on depression of the control button 88 to either the UP or DOWN positions, the motor 66 is energized to rotate in one of two directions to raise or lower the head support section 24.

In the use and operation of the contour-type dental chair with the novel head support actuator means 37 and the control means 43 of this invention, the operator need only depress the control button 88, as for example of the UP position, whereupon the motor 66 is energized to rotate the shaft 49 and move the head support section 24 upwardly. This results in axial upward movement of the connector block 58 and concurrent movement of the leg 77 of the angle member 74 on the stop rod 7:1 towards the switch member 84. On abutting the spring 79 with the leg 77, the spring 79 in turn abuts the nut 81 to move the rod 71 into engagement with the plunger 85 of the switch member 84 to open same and de-energize the motor 66 to stop movement of the head support section 24. It is seen that the spring 79 provides for resilient movement of the plunger 85 to prevent damage to the switch member 84 by overrunning of the motor 66 after de-energization thereof.

To lower the head support section 24 from this position, the control button 88 is pressed to the DOWN position to rotate the motor 66 in the opposite direction to move the connector block 58 downwardly toward the switch member 83. The other switch member 84 is concurrently closed but the circuit through the line 97 to the motor 66 has been broken by movement of the control button 88 to the DOWN position. On contacting the other spring 79 by the leg 77 and moving the stop rod 71 resiliently into engagement with the plunger 85 of the switch member 83, the motor 66 is de-energized to stop the head support section 24 in the lowered position. It is obvious that the spring 79 and nut 81 combination on the lower end of the rod 71 provides for resilient stopping of the connector block 58 to prevent damage to the switch member 83.

The operator can manually move the control button from the mid or inactive position as shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to the UP and DOWN positions to energize the motor 66 as desired for any time period so as to move the head support section 24 to any possible position between the upper and lower extremes which have been herein described.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of applicants new and novel head support actuator means for a contour-type dental chair, relatively simple and inexpensive automatic means have been provided which is readily operable to raise and lower the head support section of the dental chair. Applicants construction eliminates a great deal of time consuming and tedious work involved in movement of the patients head to the desirable operating position by the dentist and therefore provides a new and novel time saving structure.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a contour chair having an elongated main frame, a body support section secured to said main frame and a head support section connected to said body support section movable from a lowered position adjacent said main frame to a raised position upwardly therefrom, the improvement comprising:

(a) a hinge member pivotally connecting one end of said head support section to said body support section,

(b) elevating means mounted on said main frame, said elevating means having an elongated shaft rotatably supported within bearing supports and a connector block having a threaded hole therein mounted on said shaft, said shaft having external threads mounted within said threaded hole in said connector block whereby rotation of said shaft results in movement of said connector block axially thereof,

(c) an arm member having one end connected to said head support section and the opposite end connected to said elevating means,

(d) motor means connected to one end of said shaft whereby actuation of said motor means rotates said shaft to move said connector block axially of said shaft and to move said opposite end of said arm member longitudinally of said main frame to raise and lower said head support section, and

(e) control means connected to said motor means to selectively raise and lower said head support section.

2. In a contour chair having an elongated main frame, a body support section secured to said main frame and a head support section connected to said body support section movable from a lowered position adjacent said main frame to a raised position upwardly therefrom, the improvement comprising:

(a) a hinge member pivotally connecting one end of said head support section to said body support sec tion,

(b) elevating means mounted on said main frame, said elevating means having an elongated shaft rotatably supported within bearing supports and a connector block mounted on said shaft,

(c) an arm member having one end connected to said head support section and the opposite end connected to said elevating means,

(d) motor means connected to one end of said shaft whereby actuation of said motor means rotates said shaft to move said connector block axially of said shaft and to move said opposite end of said arm member longitudinally of said main frame to raise and lower said head support section,

(e) control means connected to said motor means to selectively raise and lower said head support section, said control means having an elongated stop rod slidably connected to said main frame, switch means operably connected to each opposite end of said stop rod, a control button to actuate said motor means, and a circuit means electrically interconnecting said control button, said motor means, and said switch means, and

(f) means for moving said stop rod axially on movement to the raised and lowered positions to actuate said switch means to de-energize said motor means whereby said motor means is energized on depression of said control button to raise or lower said head support section and de-energized by said moving means on reaching the raised or lowered positions.

3. An improvement in a contour chair as described in claim 2, wherein:

(a) said moving means including an angle iron secured to said connector block having one leg slidably mounted on said stop rod, stop nuts secured to opposite ends of said stop rod, and a spring member mounted about said stop rod positioned between each of said stop nuts and said angle iron whereby movement of said connector block to the raised or lowered position results in a resilient movement of said stop rod to de-energize said motor means to prevent damage to said switch means.

4. A contour-type chair comprising:

(a) a movable couch having one end pivotally connected by a hinge means to a support, said couch having a main body support section secured to a basic frame and a head support section,

(b) means pivotally connecting said head support section to said main body support section,

(c) elevating means mounted on said basic frame, said elevating means having a rotatable elongated shaft member, a connector block mounted on said shaft member for axial movement therein, and a motor means connected to said shaft member, said shaft member threaded into said connector block whereby rotation of said shaft member by said motor means moves said connector block axially of said shaft member to raise and lower said head support section,

(d) arm means having one end portion connected to said head support section and the other end portion connected to said connector block, and

(e) control means connected to said elevating means for movement of said other end portion of said arm means whereby said head support section is selectively movable relative to said basic frame about said connecting means.

5. A contour-type chair comprising:

(a) a movable couch having one end pivotally connected by a hinge means to a support, said couch having a main body support section secured to a basic frame and a head support section,

(b) means pivotally connecting said head support section to said main body support section,

(c) elevating means mounted on said basic frame, said elevating means having a rotatable elongated shaft member supported by a pair of axially spaced bearing members preventing axial movement of said shaft member, and a connector block mounted on said shaft member and connected for axial movement on rotation of said shaft member to raise and lower said head support section,

(d) arm means having one end portion connected to said head support section and the other end portion connected to said connector block, and

(e) control means connected to said elevating means for movement of said other end portion of said arm means whereby said head support section is selectively movable relative to said basic frame about said connecting means.

6. A contour-type chair comprising:

(a) a movable couch having one end pivotally connected by a hinge means to a support, said couch having a main body support section secured to a basic frame and a head support section,

(b) means pivotally connecting said head support section to said main body support section,

(c) elevating means mounted on said basic frame,

(d) arm means having one end portion connected to said head support section and the other end portion connected to said elevating means, and

(e) control means having an elongated stop rod operably connected to said elevating means, switch members adjacent opposite ends of said rod, a nut member and a spring mounted on opposite ends of said stop rod between said elevating means and said switch members whereby movement of said elevating means to a raised or lowered position results in movement of said stop rod to deactivate said elevating means and prevent damage to said switch members, and a circuit means connected to said switch members and said elevating means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Manning et al 269-325 Brundage 297-330 X Himka 297330 Naughton 297-327 Black 5-68 Holm 5-68 Kosbab et a1 297-4130 Gaffney 297-330 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTOUR CHAIR HAVING AN ELONGATED MAIN FRAME, A BODY SUPPORT SECTION SECURED TO SAID MAIN FRAME AND A HEAD SUPPORT SECTION CONNECTED TO SAID BODY SUPPORT SECTION MOVABLE FROM A LOWERED POSITION ADJACENT SAID MAIN FRAME TO A RAISED POSITION UPWARDLY THEREFROM, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) A HINGE MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID HEAD SUPPORT SECTION TO SAID BODY SUPPORT SECTION, (B) ELEVATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN FRAME, SAID ELEVATING MEANS HAVING AN ELONGATED SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED WITHIN BEARING SUPPORTS AND A CONNECTOR BLOCK HAVING A THREADED HOLE THEREIN MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, SAID SHAFT HAVING EXTERNAL THREADS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID THREADED HOLE IN SAID CONNECTOR BLOCK WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT RESULTS IN MOVEMENT OF SAID CONNECTOR BLOCK AXIALLY THEREOF, (C) AN ARM MEMBER HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID HEAD SUPPORT SECTION AND THE OPPOSITE END CONNECTED TO SAID ELEVATING MEANS, (D) MOTOR MEANS CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID SHAFT WHEREBY ACTUATION OF SAID MOTOR MEANS ROTATES SAID SHAFT TO MOVE SAID CONNECTOR BLOCK AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT AND TO MOVE SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID ARM MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MAIN FRAME TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID HEAD SUPPORT SECTION, AND (E) CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR MEANS TO SELECTIVELY RAISE AND LOWER SAID HEAD SUPPORT SECTION. 